Car-coupling



(No Model.)

J. A. PRAZIER.

OAR COUPLING. No. 865,807; Patented July 5, 1887 Elllllllli' I J EEE INVEIJ UF JOHN A. FRAZIER, or GEORGESVILLE, ASSIGNOB or ONEHALF TO ISAAC MOORE, or HARRISBURG, OHIO.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 865,807, dated July 5, 1857.

No model.)

.T ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. Fnn'zrnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Georgesville, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Car-Couplings; of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for coupling cars automatically, and

particularly relates to improvements on my former invention for which Letters Patent No. 267,868 were issued November 21, 1882.

The objects of my invention are, first, to so construct the coupling-hook of the spring- 1 5 actuated cap-plate as to form a coupling with an ordinary couplinglink; second, to admit of the use of an ordinary coupling'piu in case it is so desired; third, to so pivot the capplate within the draw-baras to enable the same to withstand a greater strain; fourth, to

prevent any lateral strain on the operatinglever by so connecting said lever with its hearing on the cap-plate as to admit of the usual slight backward and forward movement of the 2 5 said cap without moving the lever. from its original position. These obj eci s I accomplish in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1- represents a longitudinal vertical o section of the draw-bar, showing its cap in elevation. Fig. 2 is an end View oft-he drawbar. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the cap-plate. Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the cap-plate,taken on the line :0 ocof Fig. 1. Fig.

5 5 is a plan view of the draw-bar.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A represents a draw-bar, having, as shown in the above-mentioned patent, alongitudinal o recess from the top thereof, opening at the front end, and having a metallic cap-plate or coupling-tongue, G, pivoted within said recess by a pivotebolt, it, made to pass transversely through the sides of the draw-bar and through a downwardly-projecting shoulder of the cap G, near the bottom of the draw-bar. The rear end of the said cap is made to rest on a vertical coiled spring, F, seated in the rear end of the draw-bar recess and extending within ashort distance of the top thereof. From thence the cap-plate extends forward hook-shaped, as shown.

until near the open flaring end of the drawbar, andhas its outer end formed slightly At a point between the outer end of the capplate and its pivoted 5; shoulder is provided a downwardly-projecting shoulder, H, which bears against a transverse stoppin, I, made to extend between the side walls of the draw-bar, and which also acts as a rest for the cap when its hooked end is inclined downward, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The head g of the cap plate has the surface of its outer end curved downwardly and inwardly, and a depression being formed in the bottom of the plate G immediately in rear of the said head, a short downwardlyprojectinghook is thus for1ned,through the center of the lower edge of which is cut a shallow longitudinal notch or groove, K. The hooked cap-head g is provided with a central Vertical pin-hole,through which is made to pass a couplingpin, L, having its upper projecting end screw-threaded to receive a nut thereon, and having its lower portion flanged forwardly at the point where it enters the notch K, said 7 5 flanged portion bearing against the inner surface of thenotch and projecting slightly past the curved front of the hook g, from which point it extends downwardly and rearward] y in a curved line to a point beneath the lower side of the cap-hook g, forming a central continuation of the latter. The hooked end of the pin thus formed, when in its normal position, is made to rest in a-hole in the bottom of the draw-bar, and the rear side of said hook 8 5 is provided witha slight inwardlyourved depression, to better form a bearing for the inner side of the end of the link. The open end .of the draw-bar is provided with an inwardlycurved transverse cap guide-plate, M, having 0 a central vertical groove, m, 011 its inner side, and an upwardly-curved notch at the lower termination of saidgroove. This transverse plate extends across the upper portion of the draw-bar and has its inner surface curved to conform to the curve of the cap-head g,against which it bears loosely. A rounded curved projection, 9, extending downward and meeting the projecting flange of the pin L, is provided on the front end of the cap-head, thus 10o forming an upward continuation of the front line of the flange of the pin L. This projec tiong is adapted to fit loosely within the central groove of the cap guide-plate M and slide therein when the cap is forced upward by the insertion of the end of the ordinary form of coupling-link. In case the pin L should, by accident or otherwise, become broken, the nut a may be removed from the pin-head and an ordinary coupling-pin may readily beinserted in the pin-hole in the cap. The innersurface of the bottom of the draw-bar, immediately in the rear of the lower hooked end of the pin L, being slightly cut away, and a corresponding curved depressionbeing made in the under side of the cap-plate, it will be seen that room is allowed for such upward and downward play of the link as might be made necessary by the attachment to cars of uneven height or by the unevenness of the track. It will also be seen that, the pivot-bolt It being located' near the bottom of the recessed portion of the draw-bar, the bearing of the link against the pin-hook is on a level with said pivotbolt, thus causing a direct strain thereon, and operating to prevent the cap-head and its pin L from being forced upward by the pressure of the link. From the upper side of the capplate is made to project a lug, q, to which is loosely pivoted the lower end of a short block,

r, to the upper end of which is fixed one end of an operating-lever, v,which, extending laterally outward, has bearings projecting from the end of the car-frame, and has its outer end extended to form a handle. By downward pressure 011 this lever-handle the cap-plate having the coupling-pin thereon is raised,and the cars thus uncoupled. The block r'being loosely pivoted to the lug q, it will readily be seen that the latter may be allowed a reasonable play backward and forward without disturbing the position of the lever.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination, with the recessed drawbar, of the spring-actuated cap-plate G, pivoted within said recess, having detachably secured within acentral pin-hole in the head thereof the pin L, and having the projection 9, adapted to slide within a groove in the bearing-plate M, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

' JOHN A. FRAZIER.

Witnesses:

ALEX. H. J OIINSON, W. S. SHEPHERD. 

